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Human
Humans are the most numerous race and finds a home on every continent of the world. They are known for their adaptability, their unpredictability, and their ability to feel emotions much more deeply than the elves, or their precursors the aulds. Humans are the only creatures that exist with a piece of both Creation and Entropy within them. History Culture Religion Humans don't have religion in the traditional sense. They recognize that gods exist, but they don't worship any of them because they had nothing to do with their creation. The only god that is universally revered is Draknadar, the Dragon-God and Champion of Humanity, due to his part in liberating humanity from auldic enslavement and stopping the aulds from destroying the world. All humans practice in ancestor reverence as the souls of humanity do not go to an afterlife but instead return to the blood-houses to strengthen their family. Most humans can gain the ability to speak with their ancestors during times of great need, but the effect is temporary. Family shamans gain the ability to commune with their ancestors at will. This is why bloodlines are so important to humans. The souls of exceptional people can strengthen the bloodline of a family exponentially and the ancestors of this person would revere them in a way that might resemble worship. But just as good souls are accepted into the blood-house, bad souls can be cast from it, though this is very rare and highly stigmatized. Oftentimes, the person is cast out in life and stripped of their familial rune. In the event this happens, the person is no longer welcome in human settlements and would be run out if it was found out they were "bloodless". Most families try to avoid this occurring because the souls of the unclaimed usually find themselves in the clutches of Zazikael the Lich-Lord, Claimer of the Unclaimed, Usurper of Life, Father of Necromancy, and the God of Undeath. Bloodlines Government There is no universal governing system for humanity. Throughout human history, there have been various empires, kingdoms, and nations that have risen and fallen over the centuries. Currently, the largest and most powerful nation in the world is the Drakonian Empire, led by the descendants of Draknadar himself. Slavery is a universally despised practice due to humanity's history as the slaves of the aulds, though many nations practice some variation of it but do not call it that. It is often referred to as servitude, bondage, or thralldom, depending on the context. People who owe a large debt may be called into servitude for whomever they owe. Bondage is the term used for criminals working their time off with labor. And thralldom is the closest form to slavery and mostly practiced only in the Drakonian Empire with prisoners of war, warring tribes, and the smaller, less prosperous kingdoms to work the farms. Drakonian Empire Wolvaine Kingdoms The Pantheran Tribes Republic of Avarial Other Human Nations Marriage and Inheritance Due to the importance of bloodlines and ancestry in human culture, humans practice bilateral descent, where relatives on both the mother and father's side are equally important. Women have a lot of sexual freedom because any child that is added to the family strengthens the bloodline. There is no such concept as a bastard child because marriage is for formally uniting bloodlines and creating alliances. Because of this, however, the children that are the result of a marriage, have more legitimacy than the siblings who are not. For example, Hakkon married Valfrea's mother so that she could become Hakkon's legal inheritor without having to fight with her other half-siblings. Those born outside of a marriage are not without power though, if they feel they have been slighted by the children of the marriage, they can bring the matter to a court who could look into the case at the expense of the children of the marriage. This creates an atmosphere of fairness for all the children. Marriages last for life and both spouses are to not take partners outside of each other so that there can be no mistake that their children are of their alliance. Due to this, marriages are only common among powerful families who are hoping to increase their prestige. Many people do find just one person they want to be with, but many people also have multiple partners and both are accepted. There are some instances when a mother may not know the father of her child. This is not an uncommon occurrence and the child is not normally ostracized for this. Instead, they have a denotation in their full name that means they don't know their father's lineage. There have been instances when a child grew up and realized who their father was and was inducted into his bloodline later in life. This usually occurs when the mother might know who it is and she waits to see who the child looks like as they grow up. Parents who abandon their children are highly ostracized. This is more of an issue for men, but it's seen as exceptionally worse when a woman does it. Language